Carleton Washburne

We are two weeks away from the start of the 2023-24 school year. We are excited to welcome our students and families back into the building over the next couple days as part of our building tours. We are so excited to reconnect with our families and our wonderful Washburne students in anticipation of an excellent school year.

Please keep an eye out for our weekly newsletter (the Monday Memo) starting today. This newsletter will contain information about all things Washburne.

In anticipation of September 5th, we wanted to share information about the first days of school and upcoming events for students and families.

Take Care and Be Well,

Andrew Fenton & Ben Horwitz

Washburne Principal & Assistant Principal

Starting today, we are happy to be able to open up our building once again to students and families to take a tour of Carleton Washburne School prior to the start of the school year. Our building will be open for self-guided tours during the following timeframes:

• Monday, August 21st - 9:00 - 11:00 A.M.

• Tuesday, August 22nd - 1:00 - 3:00 P.M.

• Monday, August 28th - 11:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.

If you would prefer to take a guided tour of the building, we will be offering one each day at the following times:

• Monday, August 21st @ 9:30 A.M.

• Tuesday, August 22nd @ 1:00 P.M.

• Monday, August 28th @ 11:00 A.M.

Please come to the main entrance off Hibbard Road to begin your tour.

Student schedule information will go live to all families this Thursday, August 24th at 4pm via the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Our staff carefully considered the teams and advisories that were formed. Parent and teacher feedback and input was thoroughly reviewed by our team. Thank you for trusting our professional judgment as we create meaningful learning experiences for every student.

At Washburne, you will see your child’s schedule for trimester 1. Please keep in mind that students will have different electives during trimester 2 and 3.

• You can access the PowerSchool Parent Portal using this link.

• If you are a new district family, you will receive a specific email from our district office with directions to access the parent portal.

• If you have any trouble accessing your account, please reach out to parentportal@winnetka36.org.
  

On Thursday, August 31st from 11:30am-12:15pm all Washburne students will have the opportunity to meet with their team teachers and connect with other students. This event will take place outside around Carleton Washburne School.

This is a great opportunity for 8th graders to connect with their teachers and classmates and for 7th graders to meet their teachers and fellow teammates. Students can stop by at any point during this timeframe to meet the teachers on their team. Each team will be located outside the perimeter of our building, near the door where students will enter the building each day.

Please see the image below to see the location for your child’s team:

Have you ever wanted to directly impact students' learning journeys? Are you passionate about sharing your expertise? Here's your chance to make a real difference! We believe that one of the most impactful experiences we can offer our students is the opportunity to connect with professionals who are applying concepts and skills in their work or are tackling similar challenges. If you're interested and willing to help out, we invite you to complete this short form.

The information collected will serve as a valuable resource for our teachers, helping them identify individuals within our community who might be eager to spend time with our students in mentoring or expert roles for various topics or projects. Please rest assured that the information you provide will be used exclusively for the purposes previously described and never shared with external entities.

Should you ever wish to remove your name from our list, it's as simple as clicking the "edit response" link in the email you receive after submitting your response. By doing so, you can easily delete your personal information and resubmit if needed.

Thank you for considering this exciting opportunity to partner with our students!

Quest Food Management Services, Inc. is the food service provider for the Carleton Washburne Cafeteria. The school district has partnered with mymealtime.com, a convenient and secure online service for monitoring your student's lunch account and making credit or debit card deposits.

Please visit the following link for more information: Washburne Lunch Webpage.

In addition, families who do not already have accounts created will receive an email from the district before school begins with login information. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Lee at 847-501-2527 or marylee@winnetka36.org.

We are excited to share a valuable resource that promotes sustainable practices in our school community. This comprehensive guide titled "Turn a Wasteful Lunch into a Zero Waste Lunch," from Seven Generations Ahead offers practical tips and strategies to reduce lunchtime waste, aligning with our commitment to fostering environmental awareness and responsible citizenship. Together, let's take steps towards a greener future for our children.

The PTO and the KW teams at Skokie and Washburne are excited to announce a new partnership. This year, we will be ordering KW uniforms through New Trier High School’s One Stop Trev Shop! The One Stop Trev Shop is an innovative job training/life skills program for New Trier’s Transition Program students. Please CLICK HERE for more information on how to order your KW uniform.

All students should have the supplies listed in this LINK, either ordered as a kit through our PTO or purchased on your own. Please know that it is okay if students do not bring every item to school on the very first day. Our teachers will communicate with students regarding expectations for managing school supplies on the first day.

Interscholastic fall sports are set to begin right away with the start of the school year. Please see below for information regarding these options. Please contact Andy Becker at AndyBecker@winnetka36.org with any questions.

Washburne Sports Parent Meeting

There will be a Zoom meeting to discuss all things regarding Washburne Sports for this year. Please plan to attend the session on Tuesday, September 5th at 6:00pm.

Please use this link to attend the meeting.

Girls Volleyball

Any 7th or 8th grade Washburne student can try out.

Tryout Dates/Times:

• Wednesday, Sept. 6th and Thursday, Sept. 7th from 3:30-5:00pm in the Washburne Gyms.

• Possible 3rd tryout date on Friday, Sept. 8th 7:00-8:00 AM.

Tryout Results:

• The girls will be told at the last tryout date how results will be shared.

• Emailed results will be sent to the address used during registration

Practices:

• Typically, practices are Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday from 3:30-5:00pm and Friday mornings from 7-8am.

Season Dates:

• The season will start on September 6th and end on October 17th.

Requirements:

• All students need to be registered for volleyball using this link.

• All students must also have either a current physical on file at the school (within 13 months from the start of the season) or a completed and signed medical clearance form found here.

Co-ed Cross Country

Available for any 6th, 7th, or 8th grade student. This is a no-cut sport.

First day of practice:

• Wednesday, Sept. 6th from 3:30-4:30pm - meet in the backfield (rain location in the hallway outside the Washburne Gyms -in which we will only have a short meeting to introduce the season)

• Practices will be Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Thursdays/Fridays from 3:30-4:30pm.

Requirements:

• All students need to be registered for cross country using this link.

• All students must also have either a current physical on file at the school (within 13 months from the start of the season) or a completed and signed medical clearance form found here.

Other Information:

• Cross Country is a flexible program in regards to attendance. If students are not able to make all practices/meets, that will not be an issue.

Season Dates:

• The season will start on September 6th and end on October 17.

Co-ed Soccer

A new option for staying involved at Washburne this fall is Washburne FC! This club is open for all 7th and 8th grade students - it is a coed and no-cut activity. Students can expect practices as well as matches against other feeder schools in our conference.

Requirements:

• All students need to be registered for soccer using this link. All students must also have either a current physical on file at the school (within 13 months from the start of the season) or a completed and signed medical clearance form found here.

First day of Practice:

• Tuesday, Sept. 6th from 3:30-4:45pm - meet in the backfield (rain location in the hallway outside the Washburne Gyms- in which we will only have a short meeting to introduce the season)

• Practices will be Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Thursdays/ from 3:30-4:45pm.

• Fridays will be an optional practice focusing on conditioning from 3:30-4:30pm.

Equipment Needed:

• All students will need a pair of shin guards as well as soccer cleats (no metal allowed)

Season Dates:

• The season will start on September 6th and end on October 11th.

This summer marked the third edition of “One Book, One Campus” between Skokie and Washburne schools. The goal of this project is to foster our community of readers between the two campuses, while also modeling the joy of reading with students and families. This year, the selected title is Alone by Megan E. Freeman, an award-winning novel in verse about a young girl’s attempt to survive alone in challenging circumstances. All of our incoming fifth through eighth-grade students received this book and were asked to read it over the summer. We invited students to read it individually or make it a family read aloud.

Additionally, here are some questions that you can use to jump start a family discussion on the novel.

1. After the power goes out and Maddie’s cell phone stops working, she says, “It’s weird / not having a device / to turn to / with every urge / to text someone / go somewhere / know something.” How does having a cell phone impact your life? What are some advantages or disadvantages of not having a device? Do you think there are any benefits to being disconnected?

2. After gathering library books Maddie says, “We load up our treasure and head for home.” Why are the books so valuable to her? Are there any books that have been treasures to you in your life? What are they, and why are they important?

3. Maddie’s only companion during her time alone is a dog named George. Why do you think Maddie takes George in, even though it’s extra work to find food for him? What do you think humans gain from sharing their lives with cats, dogs, and other animals? How have pets impacted your life or the lives of friends and family members?

Thursday, August 24th: Student placement information will be available to families online at 4:00pm. You will be able to access this via your PowerSchool account.

Thursday, August 31st: Washburne Meet and Greet (11:30am-12:15pm). Students will have the opportunity to meet their teachers prior to the first day of school.

Tuesday, September 5th: First Day of School (½ Day: 8:30 -11:50am) Lunch will not be served at school on this date. Students will have a chance to see all of their teachers and visit their classrooms with a modified schedule. There will be bus service on this date.

Thursday, September 14th: Washburne Go to School Night 6:00pm - 8:00pm.